3Digest: April 2006

Monthly drivers report and popular 3D accelerators comparison

Monthy 3Digest is the project of iXBT.com and Digit-Life.com dedicated to informing you about the performance of a large number of graphics cards under Windows XP in the past month.

This issue is dedicated to drivers released from the 15th of March 2006 to the 15th of April 2006. Traditionally our 3Digest informs you about the best price/performance ratios available in the market. Another very important part of any issue is cards' 3D graphics quality shown on the example of a wide selection of games.

The usability rating indicates performance and features of a card (numerator) related to its price (denominator).

According to your wishes, we separated ratings into two groups: the first gathers all benchmarks, and the second contains only the gaming tests without m3DMark05/06. Disbelieving the synthetic tests, many think the second group is of higher importance.

Athlon 64 4000+ platforms:

You can see the usability and prospect graphs by downloading the Excel file above.

Usability rating (rating from the previous 3Digest is in parentheses):

GAMING ONLY usability rating

#

НАЗВАНИЕ УСКОРИТЕЛЯ

РЕЙТИНГ ПОЛЕЗ.

РЕЙТИНГ ПЕРСП.

ЦЕНА

Old #

01.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

2179

787

216

(01)

02.

6800 XT 256MB 425/1000

2023

624

147

(03)

03.

6800 GS 256MB 425/1000

2017

703

185

(08)

04.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

1981

625

154

(--)

05.

X1600 PRO 256MB 500/800

1978

529

114

(05)

06.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

1975

459

88

(07)

07.

6600 DDR2 256MB 350/800

1897

490

100

(04)

08.

X1600 XT 256MB 590/1380

1883

607

156

(02)

09.

X1800 GTO 256MB 500/1000

1822

770

254

(10)

10.

6600 GT 128MB 500/1000

1724

546

134

(06)

11.

7900 GT 256MB, 450/1320

1650

930

392

(12)

12.

X1800 XT 512MB 625/1500

1608

934

414

(18)

13.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

1569

377

76

(17)

14.

7800 GT 256MB, 400/1000

1550

859

359

(11)

15.

6600 128MB 300/550

1535

412

88

(09)

16.

X1900 XT 512MB, 625/1450

1488

1010

509

(22)

17.

X850 XT 256MB 520/1080

1430

649

230

(27)

18.

6800 GT 256MB 350/1000

1416

706

265

(19)

19.

7800 GT 256MB, 450/1100

1410

900

430

(15)

20.

X1900 XTX 512MB, 650/1550

1381

1030

567

(26)

21.

X800 GTO 256MB 400/990

1376

537

166

(14)

22.

X700 PRO 256MB 425/860

1356

428

109

(21)

23.

X700 256MB 400/700

1314

396

97

(16)

24.

X1800 XL 256MB 500/1000

1312

816

399

(13)

25.

6800 256MB 350/600

1302

619

225

(20)

26.

7800 GTX 256MB, 430/1200

1281

912

486

(23)

27.

X800 GT 256MB 475/990

1208

489

160

(24)

28.

X850 XT PE 256MB 540/1180

1175

665

294

(29)

29.

X800 XL 256MB 400/990

1072

599

264

(30)

30.

7900 GTX 512MB, 650/1600

1056

1033

735

(31)

31.

7800 GTX 256MB, 486/1350

1017

956

669

(28)

32.

7800 GTX 512MB, 550/1700

1007

1002

735

(32)

33.

6800 Ultra 256MB 425/1100

924

761

466

(25)

34.

X1900 XT CF 2x512MB, 625/1450

897

1175

1087

(33)

35.

7900 GTX SLI 2x512MB, 650/1600

671

1182

1470

(34)

GENERAL usability rating

#

НАЗВАНИЕ УСКОРИТЕЛЯ

РЕЙТИНГ ПОЛЕЗ.

РЕЙТИНГ ПЕРСП.

ЦЕНА

Old #

01.

X1600 PRO 256MB 500/800

2096

773

114

(02)

02.

X1600 XT 256MB 590/1380

2014

887

156

(01)

03.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

2002

657

88

(03)

04.

X1800 GTO 256MB 500/1000

1819

1084

254

(04)

05.

X1900 XT 512MB, 625/1450

1694

1500

509

(05)

06.

X1800 XT 512MB 625/1500

1682

1334

414

(07)

07.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

1590

541

76

(08)

08.

X1900 XTX 512MB, 650/1550

1580

1532

567

(10)

09.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

1424

890

216

(09)

10.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

1325

716

154

(--)

11.

X1800 XL 256MB 500/1000

1296

1142

399

(06)

12.

6800 GS 256MB 425/1000

1277

784

185

(13)

13.

6800 XT 256MB 425/1000

1264

696

147

(11)

14.

X1900 XT CF 2x512MB, 625/1450

1131

1821

1087

(17)

15.

6600 DDR2 256MB 350/800

1120

538

100

(12)

16.

7900 GT 256MB, 450/1320

1093

1057

392

(15)

17.

7800 GT 256MB, 400/1000

1034

979

359

(14)

18.

7800 GT 256MB, 450/1100

942

1025

430

(16)

19.

6800 GT 256MB 350/1000

871

776

265

(20)

20.

7800 GTX 256MB, 430/1200

860

1042

486

(19)

21.

6800 256MB 350/600

832

699

225

(18)

22.

7900 GTX 512MB, 650/1600

745

1201

735

(23)

23.

7800 GTX 512MB, 550/1700

692

1154

735

(24)

24.

7800 GTX 256MB, 486/1350

687

1096

669

(21)

25.

6800 Ultra 256MB 425/1100

571

837

466

(22)

26.

X700 PRO 256MB 425/860

541

390

109

(26)

27.

X700 256MB 400/700

538

366

97

(25)

28.

X850 XT 256MB 520/1080

503

553

230

(32)

29.

7900 GTX SLI 2x512MB, 650/1600

501

1412

1470

(28)

30.

X800 GTO 256MB 400/990

500

466

166

(27)

31.

X800 GT 256MB 475/990

458

435

160

(29)

32.

6600 128MB 300/550

425

247

88

(30)

33.

6600 GT 128MB 500/1000

419

294

134

(31)

34.

X850 XT PE 256MB 540/1180

412

566

294

(34)

35.

X800 XL 256MB 400/990

380

513

264

(33)

Prospect rating (the previous rating is in parenthesis):

GAMING ONLY prospect rating

#

НАЗВАНИЕ УСКОРИТЕЛЯ

РЕЙТИНГ ПОЛЕЗ.

РЕЙТИНГ ПЕРСП.

ЦЕНА

Old #

01.

7900 GTX SLI 2x512MB, 650/1600

671

1182

1470

(01)

02.

X1900 XT CF 2x512MB, 625/1450

897

1175

1087

(02)

03.

7900 GTX 512MB, 650/1600

1056

1033

735

(04)

04.

X1900 XTX 512MB, 650/1550

1381

1030

567

(03)

05.

X1900 XT 512MB, 625/1450

1488

1010

509

(05)

06.

7800 GTX 512MB, 550/1700

1007

1002

735

(06)

07.

7800 GTX 256MB, 486/1350

1017

956

669

(07)

08.

X1800 XT 512MB 625/1500

1608

934

414

(08)

09.

7900 GT 256MB, 450/1320

1650

930

392

(09)

10.

7800 GTX 256MB, 430/1200

1281

912

486

(10)

11.

7800 GT 256MB, 450/1100

1410

900

430

(11)

12.

7800 GT 256MB, 400/1000

1550

859

359

(12)

13.

X1800 XL 256MB 500/1000

1312

816

399

(13)

14.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

2179

787

216

(14)

15.

X1800 GTO 256MB 500/1000

1822

770

254

(15)

16.

6800 Ultra 256MB 425/1100

924

761

466

(16)

17.

6800 GT 256MB 350/1000

1416

706

265

(17)

18.

6800 GS 256MB 425/1000

2017

703

185

(18)

19.

X850 XT PE 256MB 540/1180

1175

665

294

(19)

20.

X850 XT 256MB 520/1080

1430

649

230

(20)

21.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

1981

625

154

(--)

22.

6800 XT 256MB 425/1000

2023

624

147

(21)

23.

6800 256MB 350/600

1302

619

225

(22)

24.

X1600 XT 256MB 590/1380

1883

607

156

(23)

25.

X800 XL 256MB 400/990

1072

599

264

(24)

26.

6600 GT 128MB 500/1000

1724

546

134

(25)

27.

X800 GTO 256MB 400/990

1376

537

166

(26)

28.

X1600 PRO 256MB 500/800

1978

529

114

(27)

29.

6600 DDR2 256MB 350/800

1897

490

100

(29)

30.

X800 GT 256MB 475/990

1208

489

160

(28)

31.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

1975

459

88

(30)

32.

X700 PRO 256MB 425/860

1356

428

109

(31)

33.

6600 128MB 300/550

1535

412

88

(32)

34.

X700 256MB 400/700

1314

396

97

(33)

35.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

1569

377

76

(34)

GENERAL prospect rating

#

НАЗВАНИЕ УСКОРИТЕЛЯ

РЕЙТИНГ ПОЛЕЗ.

РЕЙТИНГ ПЕРСП.

ЦЕНА

Old #

01.

X1900 XT CF 2x512MB, 625/1450

1131

1821

1087

(01)

02.

X1900 XTX 512MB, 650/1550

1580

1532

567

(02)

03.

X1900 XT 512MB, 625/1450

1694

1500

509

(03)

04.

7900 GTX SLI 2x512MB, 650/1600

501

1412

1470

(04)

05.

X1800 XT 512MB 625/1500

1682

1334

414

(05)

06.

7900 GTX 512MB, 650/1600

745

1201

735

(06)

07.

7800 GTX 512MB, 550/1700

692

1154

735

(07)

08.

X1800 XL 256MB 500/1000

1296

1142

399

(08)

09.

7800 GTX 256MB, 486/1350

687

1096

669

(09)

10.

X1800 GTO 256MB 500/1000

1819

1084

254

(10)

11.

7900 GT 256MB, 450/1320

1093

1057

392

(11)

12.

7800 GTX 256MB, 430/1200

860

1042

486

(12)

13.

7800 GT 256MB, 450/1100

942

1025

430

(13)

14.

7800 GT 256MB, 400/1000

1034

979

359

(14)

15.

7600 GT 256MB, 560/1400

1424

890

216

(15)

16.

X1600 XT 256MB 590/1380

2014

887

156

(16)

17.

6800 Ultra 256MB 425/1100

571

837

466

(17)

18.

6800 GS 256MB 425/1000

1277

784

185

(18)

19.

6800 GT 256MB 350/1000

871

776

265

(19)

20.

X1600 PRO 256MB 500/800

2096

773

114

(20)

21.

7600 GS 256MB, 400/800

1325

716

154

(--)

22.

6800 256MB 350/600

832

699

225

(21)

23.

6800 XT 256MB 425/1000

1264

696

147

(22)

24.

X1300 PRO 256MB, 600/800

2002

657

88

(23)

25.

X850 XT PE 256MB 540/1180

412

566

294

(24)

26.

X850 XT 256MB 520/1080

503

553

230

(25)

27.

X1300 256MB, 450/550

1590

541

76

(26)

28.

6600 DDR2 256MB 350/800

1120

538

100

(27)

29.

X800 XL 256MB 400/990

380

513

264

(28)

30.

X800 GTO 256MB 400/990

500

466

166

(29)

31.

X800 GT 256MB 475/990

458

435

160

(30)

32.

X700 PRO 256MB 425/860

541

390

109

(31)

33.

X700 256MB 400/700

538

366

97

(32)

34.

6600 GT 128MB 500/1000

419

294

134

(33)

35.

6600 128MB 300/550

425

247

88

(34)

Ingame quality

6. Games screenshot gallery

All test screenshots are compiled into a gallery where you can qualify the work of a chosen videocard and compare it to the reference images taken on ATI Radeon 9500. All shots were taken at the same 1024x768 resolution at the maximum quality. Screenshot gallery

7. Game Artefacts Gallery

8. Game Quality Control Section

We thank all the companies that provided us with graphics cards and other equipment for our 3Digest, including:HIS (and personally Peter Yueng)Bench'emAll! (and personally Alexander Kondratyuk AKA Render for helping us optimize bechmarking).